A Top Tips Guide for Cladding a Tiny Home
Traditional attitudes to housing and accommodation are typically ‘bigger is better’. But in recent years, we have witnessed the emerging ‘small space’ movement, with many people opting to downsize.
Perhaps driven by the millennial attitude towards minimalism, efficiency, and economic freedom, the design and creation of small spaces and ‘tiny homes’ has seen a surge in popularity. Even those of us who don’t have a tiny home are intrigued by the style and architecture that both professionals and DIY-ers across the world are achieving with this house design.
In this blog, we will discuss some of the most popular cladding options available today for tiny homes, and what makes them such a great choice.
The Best Cladding Options for Tiny Homes
When building a tiny home, cladding is one of the most important components. Not only does it dramatically improve the exterior look of the building, but it also plays a vital role in insulating the space.
There are various different types of materials available for your tiny home’s exterior cladding, all with a variety of colours, styles, and finishes to suit your taste and budget. This includes:
- Steel Cladding – This material is incredibly strong and durable. However, over time, metal cladding can rust and become discoloured. It’s also not the most aesthetically pleasing option for a tiny home.
- Composite Wood Cladding – This is a good option if you’re after something low maintenance and customisable when it comes to style and colour. However, installation costs are typically higher for this material compared to others. Also, with it being a relatively new material, it’s hard to say how well it holds up over time.
So, what’s the best solution? While we may sound biased, you truly can’t beat timber when it comes to the best cladding for a tiny house. Let us explain why.
High-Quality Timber Cladding for Tiny Homes
Timber has long proven to be an excellent external cladding choice for a wide variety of projects — from creating striking facades for larger buildings to providing the perfect exterior for stylish and contemporary tiny homes. Let’s take you through some of the benefits of timber cladding for your small space project.
Great Heat and Sound Insulation
Timber cladding is a good heat and sound insulator, keeping the heat in and preventing sound from escaping. It’s a material that is both functionally and aesthetically perfect for buildings since it retains heat better than concrete, steel, and aluminium.
Eco-Friendly Materials
There is no favouritism involved when we say that wood is one of the greatest sustainable materials you can utilise in your project. Wood is completely biodegradable, renewable, and absorbs carbon dioxide. Here at NORclad, we do everything to ensure our timber is sustainably sourced and produced using environmentally-friendly methods. Our trustworthy suppliers are FSC and/or PEFC certified and adhere to strict felling and replanting protocols in accordance with environmental standards. Explore our environmental commitment here.
Aesthetically Pleasing
You just can’t beat the aesthetic appeal of timber. The material itself is natural, rustic, warm and welcoming. Then there are the many ways in which it can be applied to create the most stylish, modern and minimalist designs. Timber cladding comes in a range of colours, textures and finishes too — a style to instantly elevate the appearance of any tiny home.
Durability and Longevity
As well as looking impressive, timber is pretty tough stuff. When cared for and installed at a high standard, timber cladding has an excellent lifespan, lasting anywhere between 40 to 60 years. Compared to other cladding options, chips and other dents caused by natural ageing are also far less noticeable due to the natural grain of the timber.
Easy to Maintain
With a number of timber species offering a high durability, timber cladding requires very little maintenance over time. And, any repairs and maintenance that are needed can be carried out easily and affordably. To really get the best out of your timber cladding, it is recommended to treat which will offer protection against rot and fungal decay. The NORclad Brunnea treatment is an excellent choice to enhance the durability and appearance of your timber cladding. The treatment helps timber to withstand the elements and also contains a UV inhibitor to help the wood retain its colour longer and for the weathering process to occur less quickly.
High Quality Timber Cladding from NORclad
As you can see from the benefits above, timber cladding is a great option for your tiny home. Not only does the material keep your space properly insulated and protected, but it’s also sure to catch the eye of any passer-by with its minimalist, natural and stylish finish.
If you’re looking to transform your tiny home with a stunning external finish, please feel free to contact our timber cladding experts today. With over 40 years of experience bringing our client’s visions to life across all kinds of exciting projects, we are the go-to supplier and manufacturer for timber cladding and façade solutions!
Read next: How to Improve the Design & Appearance of Your Building
